In Mumbai, approximately 380 posts for sub-engineers and junior engineers in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) have remained vacant since last year. Most of these vacant positions are in the technical and mechanical departments, leading to adverse effects on the work related to roads, bridges, water, and more, according to the Municipal Engineers Union. They have urged Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal to prioritise the filling of these vacancies.
3,500 engineers currently employed
The civic body currently employs 3,500 engineers across various technical departments, including roads, water supply projects, stormwater drains, sewerage operations, solid waste management, development planning, building proposals, planning and development, mechanical and electrical engineering, and city engineering. Out of the 380 vacancies, approximately 130 positions for sub-engineers and junior engineers are in the technical and mechanical departments. Sources state that the shortage of engineers is impacting the supervision work, particularly with the ongoing road concretization project across the city.
Sainath Rajadhyaksha of the Municipal Engineers Union said, "In many cases, laborers have to work on-site without the guidance of even a junior engineer. Due to the staff shortage, engineers are constantly overwhelmed. This issue was discussed in a meeting with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on September 13, 2022. Advertisements have been published multiple times to fill these positions, but no action has been taken yet. If the engineering posts are filled, there will be proper implementation of civic work because engineers play a crucial role in everything from road repairs to building projects."
Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal was not available for comment.
